Are you the bottleneck in your own agency's growth? Does the weight of every decision rest on your shoulders, leaving you overworked and your team underutilized? This guest is a successful agency owner who found himself in the industry after being laid off during the global economic crisis. He turned this setback into an opportunity and started his own business. However, as the agency expanded, he realized he was hindering progress. He had to shift away from the superhero mindset and empower his team to move forward. Tune in to learn how unexpected events can lead to new beginnings and the importance of seizing opportunities. Irwin Hau is a successful entrepreneur running two agencies: Chromatix, an agency focused on stunning web design that drives users to engage faster; and ConversionCow, a SaaS focused on lead conversions. He shares his journey from working at top ad agencies to starting his own businesses. Despite being made redundant during the Global Financial Crisis, Irwin took the opportunity to venture out on his own in a move that ultimately shaped his success in the business world. In this episode, we discuss: Unlocking agency potential by shedding the superhero mentality. Rethinking agency roles. The Lion Framework. Subscribe Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio Sponsors and Resources E2M Solutions: Today's episode of the Smart Agency Masterclass is sponsored by E2M Solutions, a web design, and development agency that has provided white-label services for the past 10 years to agencies all over the world. Check out e2msolutions.com/smartagency and get 10% off for the first three months of service. Going from Redundancy to Resilience The global financial crisis of fifteen years ago was a pivotal moment for Irwin. Despite having worked at the top two agencies in Melbourne and loving his job, he found himself made redundant – a harsh reality that could have easily crushed his spirit. However, Irwin's philosophy was simple: life's too short to wallow in self-pity, and true character is revealed in how one picks himself up. Instead of giving up, he seized this unexpected turn of events as an opportunity to pursue his long-harbored entrepreneurial dreams. Yet, as any business owner knows, the path to success is rarely a straight line. He faced challenges, struggled to find clients, and had to take on low-paying projects just to keep the business afloat. However, his passion for making websites fueled his resilience and he continued to push forward. This unwavering passion fueled Irwan’s resilience, enabling him to push forward despite the obstacles. To him, true resilience isn't merely about bouncing back from failure; it's about adapting, growing, and thriving in the face of challenges. It's a mental toughness and determination to keep going, even when the road ahead seems insurmountable. Shedding the Superhero Mentality to Unlock Agency Potential Irwin understood at some point he was becoming the bottleneck at his agency. Everything had to go through him and the first step to solving that was learning to let go. His initial reluctance to delegate stemmed from a fear of losing control and a belief that he was the only one who could do things the right way. However, as he reflected on his own mindset and the impact it was having on his team and his business, he recognized holding onto this mentality was hindering growth and limiting the potential of his team. Ultimately, he was working more hours and was constantly tired. The fact that everyone came to him for everything slowed the overall process. Instead of being the central figure, he should’ve been the one bringing superstars together to build something great. The more he was tying himself to every project, the harder it was to scale. In the end, people didn’t necessarily want “Irwin’s results,” they wanted the results Irwin’s team got. Ask yourself which “line” your agency is currently on: 1. Unfocused line 2. Emergen